Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini declared victory at Lazio as their best performance of the season.
Davide Zappacosta and Rasmus Hojlund struck for 2-0 win.
Gasperini enthused: “It was probably our best performance of the season, especially considering the value of the opponent. It was one of those games that can give us a lot of confidence, playing against a Lazio side that beat us earlier this season after what was our worst performance of the campaign,” Gasperini told Sky Sport Italia.
“I got the feeling from the touchline that it was genuinely a very entertaining game and that is rare, but it is also because Lazio were playing good football and the first half was far more balanced.
“We never held back from the Champions League, we just said we’ll keep giving our all and if we are still there 10 rounds from the end, then we’ll see. Getting back into the Champions League would be extraordinary, but regardless I still think what we are doing this season is extraordinary.
“Hojlund has this spirit, energy, intensity, but also technical quality that is just remarkable. He still has so much margin for improvement, too. He has very similar characteristics to Haaland, not just his face. He is so quick, he’s under 11 seconds over 100m and that’s not even trying very hard. Considering his height, he has a low centre of gravity and can move his legs very fast. I am convinced he’ll have a great career, he just gets stronger every day.”
